France didn't give Sonics' Petro, Gelebale a chance

Duo still smarting after being left off national team

By GARY WASHBURN, P-I REPORTER

Published 10:00 pm, Friday, October 5, 2007

Johan Petro spent most of his summer in Seattle, becoming even more Americanized. He became a fan of "Grey's Anatomy," practically lived at the Sonics training facility, often making ugly faces when Robert Swift would slip in an AC/DC disc during weightlifting sessions. He became even more familiar with his adopted home.

Mid-September was admittedly a difficult time for the 21-year-old Frenchman. While he and countryman Mickael Gelabale were working out in Seattle, the French national team was finishing a mediocre eighth place at the FIBA European Championships.

They wanted to help teammates Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Rony Turiaf, but weren't invited. French National coach Claude Bergeaud, admittedly not a fan of younger players, told Petro and Gelabale they wouldn't garner much playing time for their home country and therefore shouldn't bother with heading home to sit the bench.

Each took Bergeaud's move personally.

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"I missed it because I wanted to play for the national team," Gelabale said. "But they did not pick me. But I have more (years) to play. I was disappointed."

Petro complained after receiving limited playing time in the 2006 World Championships, and some observers believe Bergeaud penalized him this summer for those sentiments. The Sonics were expecting both players to spend most of their time in France, but were able to take both to summer league when Bergeaud made his decision in late April.

France's performance in the European Champions did not give Petro a sense of satisfaction. But it was apparent the French could have used another big man. Diaw, not considered a strong rebounder in the NBA, led France with 5.7 while Turiaf led the club with 10 blocks in nine games.

The team's tallest player, 7-foot-2 Frederic Weis, most infamous for being hurdled by Vince Carter in perhaps the greatest dunk in international history, blocked four shots in 132 minutes.

"There was a lot of disappointment because I wanted to really do something good with that team," Petro said. "And the coach told me the year before I didn't play and I was frustrated because of that and he said I don't want to put you in the same position. I was disappointed but I had a good summer and had a chance to work on some points of my game and try to see what's happening next year."

Petro said he is focused on being more consistent for the Sonics. He showed flashes of being a dependable post player during last season, but he also battled through stretches of producing little in terms of rebounding and blocked shots.

In 25 of his 81 games last season, Petro finished with two or fewer rebounds. In working with Jack Sikma the past two years, he has developed a refined mid-range jumper and is comfortable shooting the ball from either side of the key.

But P.J. Carlesimo's new defensive philosophy calls for a physical big man who can rebound and defend. Both are considered Petro's primary weaknesses.

"P.J. is all about winning and defense and defense is what I have to improve on," Petro said. "I feel comfortable with his system. I need to be more mature, really realize how important that is. Have that mentality before every practice and every game will help me."

Carlesimo is not going on scouting reports when assessing Petro. Those reports likely say Petro is a power forward in a center's body. That he would rather convert a spinning layup than a thundering dunk. He would rather roam the perimeter than bang for a rebound.

"In our system the only difference between a (power forward) and (center) is who you guard," Carlesimo said. "They are very similar. I don't know (Petro) well enough to say (he doesn't rebound well). We're going to give the different combinations (of big men) a chance to play together."

Said Petro: "I feel like I can play both. I am not a straight power forward or straight center. I just have to improve on those two positions."

TIP-INS: The injury list picked up a new name when Chris Wilcox sat out the final part of morning practice with a strained hip flexor. It is considered a day-to-day injury. He joins Delonte West (left big toenail removal), Kurt Thomas (sore left quadriceps), Robert Swift (right knee tendinitis) and Gelabale (left hamstring strain) as training camp injuries. ... Former NBA coach Don Casey was at practice Friday working with the club on a 1-2-2 zone and the process was tedious, as Carlesimo expected. Carlesimo said a zone will be a staple of the Sonics' defensive arsenal. "I've believed always that zone had a place in the league and I believe it more now," he said. "Where most of (coaches) have come up short is we don't put the time into it. We all have a zone that we can throw out there but most of them are (poor) zones but it works because other teams' miss shots. Our goal this year is to have a good zone."